Simplifying complex multiphase flow management through additive manufacturing-driven design exploration

Managing multiphase flow behavior, especially gas-liquid interactions such as bubble guiding and transport, presents significant challenges due to nonlinear interactions among geometry, interfacial forces and flow conditions. Traditional simulation-driven design methods have limitations in capturing the complex behavior of multiphase flows, particularly when tightly coupled with electrochemical kinetics and charge-mass transfer, such as in an electrolyzer. To address these challenges, this study proposes an additive manufacturing (AM)-driven experimental framework that combines rapid prototyping, a position-resolved test strategy, and a semi-quantitative scoring framework. This framework converts qualitative bubble observations into standardized, evidence-based performance metrics that correlate directly with the electrolyzer’s performance. Proof-of-concept experiments conducted through representative guiding structures demonstrate that this framework reliably distinguishes between more and less effective design variants, thereby enabling iterative optimization based on experimental data. Beyond the specific case of bubble management in electrolyzer, the proposed framework establishes a transferable solution for simplifying and accelerating the structure development in complex multiphase systems.